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Hi! Kamusta!

Greeting in Tagalog

Learning a new language is one thing and learning how to talk to people in their native language is a whole different story. This means second-guessing every word and wishing that people came with subtitles or pause buttons. But that doesn't have to be the case when greeting Tagalog speakers. In this lesson, we will talk about the spanish origin but quintessentially Tagalog word, Kamusta.

Kamusta, pronounced /kah + moos + tah/ is your gateway word to building Tagalog vocabulary. If you like multipurpose words, then you'll like Kamusta. It can mean several things. Consider:

  • Hi! / Hello!
  • Hey!
  • How are you?
  • How's the ...?

Let's talk about these, shall we?

Hi! / Hello!

Forget about Mabuhay! and  Ikinagagalak kitang makilala, when it comes to greeting people, whether a friend or a stranger, Kamusta is the perfect start for any converstation. Use it like you would use "Hi!" or "Hello". A smiling face and a slightly waving hand would be perfect with it too.

Even if you can't speak fluent Tagalog (for now), the person that you just greeted will know that you did your research more than hearing Mabuhay in the airport or tourism videos.

P.S. Never use Mabuhay as a greeting. It vaguely means "Long Live". It's never gonna happen.

Hey!

We already talked about Kamusta as "Hi" / "Hello" but you can further brag your budding Tagalog vocabulary by saving Musta insead of Kamusta. This is best used when you are already close to the person you are greeting. So next time you see your Tagalog friend, just greet them with a Musta!

How are you?

Kamusta, as I mentioned before, is borrowed from Spanish. It came from the spanish sentence "Cómo estás?" meaning, "How are you?". Due t Pihllipines' long history with Spain, we had a lot of time Tagalizing it into our version. So, all the time you are using Kamusta as "Hi" or "Hello!" or even "Hey!", you are actually saying "How are you?".

It's basically like asking "How do you do?" but not expecting any actual answer. It's polite... and kinda superficial. BUT - If you do want to know how are they, you still say Kamusta or better yet:

  • Kamusta Ka? - How are you?

Ka means "you" in Tagalog. Following that pattern if Kayo is "you guys" or "y'all", how would you say "How are you guys?" to a group of your friends or acquaintances?

Take the quiz

1. What is the shorter way of saying "Kamusta"?

  • Kata!
  • Musta!
  • Kasta!
  • Kamu!

2. Which one is not equivalent to "Kamusta" ?

  • How are you?

  • Long Live!

  • Hi / Hello!

  • How's the ... ?

3. What is the equivalent to "you" in Tagalog?

  • Kayo
  • ako
  • ka
  • siya

4. What is the equivalent of "you guys" or "y'all" in Tagalog?

  • ako
  • ka
  • kayo
  • siya

5. What is the correct way of asking someone how they are?

  • Kamusta ako!
  • Kamusta bakit
  • Kamusta ka?
  • Ka kamusta

6. What does "Mabuhay!" mean?

  • Long live!
  • Livin' the vida loca!
  • Live long and prosper!
  • Live like a Filipino!

7. If you were to greet all of your friends, how would you do that in Tagalog?

  • Kamusta estas?
  • Kamusta kayo?
  • Kamusta ka?
  • Kamusta friends?

8. If you are close to someone, what is the best way to greet them?

  • Musta!
  • Ka!
  • Manuhay!
  • Ikinagagalak kitang makilala!
Answers for the quiz

1 - b - Musta!

2 - b - Long Live!

3 - c - ka

4 - c - kayo

5 - c - Kamusta ka?

6 - a - Long live!

7 - b - Kamusta kayo?

8 - a - Musta!

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